Top Western movies of all time (4 Viewers)

[Spitfrnd]

The Shootist
Magnificent 7
Wild Bunch
Outlaw Josie Wales
Fort Apache
Searchers
Open Range
Unforgiven
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Tombstone

Trivia Question -- what historical character did John Wayne base his movie persona on and what was their connection.

I am not sure if this is what you mean but Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison. He is said to have picked up the nick name Duke from a local fireman at the station on his route to school in Glendale who started calling him "Little Duke", because he never went anywhere without his huge Airedale dog, Duke. He preferred Duke to Marion (who wouldn't) so the name stuck.

Although he first appeared as "Duke Morrison", his career screen name was derived from a suggestion by director Raoul Walsh who cast him in his first starring role in The Big Trail (1930). Walsh suggested "Anthony Wayne", after Revolutiony War General "Mad Anthony Wayne" but Fox rejected it as "too Italian" and accepted Walsh's second suggestion "John Wayne."

Interestingly enough, "The Duke" is the only actor to have appeared on the top ten actors list for the last fifteen years, now more than thirty years after his death.

 

[lancer]

I am not sure if this is what you mean but Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison. He is said to have picked up the nick name Duke from a local fireman at the station on his route to school in Glendale who started calling him "Little Duke", because he never went anywhere without his huge Airedale dog, Duke. He preferred Duke to Marion (who wouldn't) so the name stuck.

Although he first appeared as "Duke Morrison", his career screen name was derived from a suggestion by director Raoul Walsh who cast him in his first starring role in The Big Trail (1930). Walsh suggested "Anthony Wayne", after Revolutiony War General "Mad Anthony Wayne" but Fox rejected it as "too Italian" and accepted Walsh's second suggestion "John Wayne."

Interestingly enough, "The Duke" is the only actor to have appeared on the top ten actors list for the last fifteen years, now more than thirty years after his death.

Excellent post. The Duke was, and always will be, THE personification of the western hero. No one else is even close to being in the same league. Sure, there are many other great western stars, but they all just orbit around John Wayne. -- lancer

 

[lcdr1635]

Great post but not what I was going for...

http://www.jcs-group.com/oldwest/tombstone/earp1.html

 

[marco55]

A lot of people complain that John Wayne wasn't a good actor but I know one thing I always enjoyed his movies and that is what counts.
Mark

 

[Njja]

I just watched Vera Cruz, with and All-Star cast, I highly recommend it!

 

[marco55]

I just watched Vera Cruz, with and All-Star cast, I highly recommend it!

Excellent movie.A couple of others I can't think of the titles but Henry Fonda is a sheriff and the other has Charlton Heston as a mountain man who is captured by some crazies.Will Penny I think it is.Another one that I love is Hombre with Paul Newman and Richard Boone.
Mark

 

[lancer]

Excellent movie.A couple of others I can't think of the titles but Henry Fonda is a sheriff and the other has Charlton Heston as a mountain man who is captured by some crazies.Will Penny I think it is.Another one that I love is Hombre with Paul Newman and Richard Boone.
Mark

All great shows. There is one with Gregory Peck playing Ringo, on the run from 3 guys. Can't remember the name but Karl Malden plays the bartender and Skip Homeier plays the young gun who kills Peck. Good show. Really liked Hombre and Will Penny. -- lancer

 

[marco55]

Yeah I remember the one with Peck.He was another actor I really liked.
Mark

 

[Aleš]

The western without indians is not a western movie.It is just a history drama or something,but the real western must have at least indians,if he have also a buffalo,mexicans,blue soldiers,cactus,prarie,...than it is 100 percent western.
I hate westerns when it is all happened in one town(sherif,bad guy,saloon,...)it is suck.
No body mention movies Young guns 1 and 2,these are also great movies,action,humor,.....

 

[Spitfrnd]

All great shows. There is one with Gregory Peck playing Ringo, on the run from 3 guys. Can't remember the name but Karl Malden plays the bartender and Skip Homeier plays the young gun who kills Peck. Good show. Really liked Hombre and Will Penny. -- lancer

Yes that would be The Gunfighter (1950) and another classic. Gregory Peck was pure class and always a pleasure to watch. I rather think he was the model for the strong quiet hero.

Interestingly, The Gunfighter was purchased for John Wayne by Harry Cohn at Columbia but Wayne refused to work for him because Cohn had mistreated him years before when he was a young contract player. So Cohn sold the script to Fox and Peck got the role that Wayne was to defer until The Shootist, yet another classic.

Ironically, one of the people who said Wayne couldn't act was John Ford, his long time directing partner and friend. I think that was an overstatement; the Duke could act just fine within his limits and he very much could entertain. That is why he still keeps showing up on the favorite actors list.

A great western may or may not have Indians or Mexicans but it always has a strong hero. Peck and Wayne certainly fit that mold.

 

[lancer]

Yes that would be The Gunfighter (1950) and another classic. Gregory Peck was pure class and always a pleasure to watch. I rather think he was the model for the strong quiet hero.

Interestingly, The Gunfighter was purchased for John Wayne by Harry Cohn at Columbia but Wayne refused to work for him because Cohn had mistreated him years before when he was a young contract player. So Cohn sold the script to Fox and Peck got the role that Wayne was to defer until The Shootist, yet another classic.

Ironically, one of the people who said Wayne couldn't act was John Ford, his long time directing partner and friend. I think that was an overstatement; the Duke could act just fine within his limits and he very much could entertain. That is why he still keeps showing up on the favorite actors list.

A great western may or may not have Indians or Mexicans but it always has a strong hero. Peck and Wayne certainly fit that mold.

I think "The Shootist" ia a really well done picture and very underated. One of Wayne's best, but he had so many. Ford didn't think Wayne could act until he saw him in "Red River" when he made the backhanded compliment by saying he didn't realize Wayne was capable of such a performance. Wayne once said that he didn't act, he reacted. Whatever he did worked and as you pointed out, it is still working. -- Al

 

[Spitfrnd]

I think "The Shootist" ia a really well done picture and very underated. One of Wayne's best, but he had so many. Ford didn't think Wayne could act until he saw him in "Red River" when he made the backhanded compliment by saying he didn't realize Wayne was capable of such a performance. Wayne once said that he didn't act, he reacted. Whatever he did worked and as you pointed out, it is still working. -- Al

I also think the Shootist is very well done and one of the Duke's best; a fitting finale for such a distinguished career. Like many of the greats, he just kept getting better; although Red River is very good.

 

[lancer]

I don't know how I forgot this movie, "Ulzana's Raid". This is a Burt Lancaster movie from 1972 and is really good. The hunt for an uncut copy is a tough one. The scene where Richard Jaeckel and the other trooper split off to hunt down the wounded Apache is missing from almost every version available. -- lancer

 

[Fraxinus]

(1) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon !!! --- Watch Scene and the Watering the Catcus Scene.

(2) Fort Apache --- Did Wayne even kill anyone in the movie? Did he ever fire a gun, maybe in the stagecoach scene, but I would need to see it again.

(3) And the very underated "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". Lee Marvin is very very good. Can you say "Pilgrim !!! ".

 

[DCN1898]

My three are.
1. Hombre
2. Son of the Morning Star. (A great film that needs to come to DVD)
3. Rio Grande. I can't put my finger on it, but it is my favorite of the trilogy. It had a genuine OSS hero playing one of the officers in the movie. Peter Ortiz who played Capt. St. Jacques.

 

[lancer]

My three are.
1. Hombre
2. Son of the Morning Star. (A great film that needs to come to DVD)
3. Rio Grande. I can't put my finger on it, but it is my favorite of the trilogy. It had a genuine OSS hero playing one of the officers in the movie. Peter Ortiz who played Capt. St. Jacques.

John Russel has some hard bark on him (it just wasn't bullet proof). Great movie. -- lancer